Botpress Secures $15 Million in Series A Funding

Botpress, an early-stage startup headquartered in Montreal, is focused on simplifying the development of conversational applications. These applications enable interaction with technology through spoken language, rather than traditional methods like typing or tapping.

New Investment Round

The company recently announced a $15 million Series A funding round led by Decibel and Inovia Capital. This investment will fuel further development and expansion of its platform.

The Vision: Conversational AI for Everyone

According to Sylvain Perron, founder and CEO of Botpress, the core mission is to democratize access to human-level digital assistance. This is achieved by providing developers with the necessary tools to construct conversational AI applications.

“It represents a paradigm shift in how software is both created and utilized, leveraging natural human language as the primary user interface, moving away from conventional graphical interfaces,” Perron explained.

Open-Source Toolkit for Developers

Botpress offers an open-source toolkit designed to alleviate the complexities often associated with building conversational applications. This toolkit is intended to integrate seamlessly into existing software development workflows.

“Developers are drawn to our platform because it provides the appropriate resources for creating conversational AI without disrupting their established software development processes,” Perron stated.

From Personal Frustration to Global Adoption

The origins of Botpress stem from Perron’s own challenges in developing a bot application. Finding a lack of adequate resources, he embarked on creating his own solution.

The initial version of the tool was released in 2017, and it has since gained traction with over 100,000 developers globally, including numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Commercialization and Cloud Offering

Jon Sakoda, leading the investment at Decibel, highlighted the company’s success in converting enterprise interest into a viable business model. Currently, Botpress offers a commercial open-source version that many companies subscribe to.

“However, mirroring the trajectory of other successful open-source ventures, there’s substantial demand for a fully-fledged cloud product. This funding will enable Botpress to invest in developing a comprehensive, turnkey cloud solution,” Sakoda noted.

Simplifying Deployment and Scaling

Sakoda emphasized that while developers can currently build a bot in under an hour using a laptop, a cloud product will further streamline the process of deploying and scaling these bots for production use.

Growth and Team Expansion

With offices in Montreal and Quebec City, Botpress currently employs 25 individuals. The company intends to triple its workforce within the next year, utilizing the new investment to support this growth.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

As the team expands, Perron underscored the importance of prioritizing diversity and inclusion in the hiring process. He acknowledged the risk of inadvertently adopting non-inclusive practices during rapid scaling.

“We are dedicated to ensuring inclusivity as we grow, and are actively investing significant effort to achieve this goal,” he affirmed.

Remote-First Approach

Botpress has operated remotely since its inception and had recently opened an office in Quebec City just before the onset of the pandemic. The company anticipates adopting a hybrid work model once it’s safe to return to the office, with employees having the flexibility to choose their preferred work arrangement.